Passage

Acts 26.24

Book: Acts · ASV

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"22. Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come; 23. how that the Christ must suffer, and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles."

"24. And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad."

"25. But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness. 26. For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner." (Acts 26:22-26, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"22. Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23. how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”"

"24. As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”"

"25. But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness. 26. For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner." (Acts 26:22-26, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"22. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23. That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."

"24. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad."

"25. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner." (Acts 26:22-26, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"22. 'Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come, 23. that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'"

"24. And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, 'Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;'"

"25. and he saith, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth; 26. for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;" (Acts 26:22-26, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: the Apostle Paul mid-defense; Festus the Roman procurator interrupts
Audience: Agrippa II, Bernice, Festus, the military tribunes, the principal men of Caesarea (Acts 25:23)
Location: Caesarea Maritima, Festus's audience-chamber
Time period: c. AD 59-60; the same hearing as Acts 26:1-2

Theological reading

The verse names the moment the first-century equivalent of the modern delusional/irrational dismissal of Christian-witness is uttered in the Acts narrative. Festus interrupts Paul mid-apologia (the genitive-absolute apologoumenou, "while [Paul] was making his defense," continues the verbal-action of Acts 26:1) with the loud accusation "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad!" The interruption is not a counter-argument but a meta-frame: Festus does not engage the resurrection-claim Paul has just stated (vv. 22-23) but reaches for the not-worth-engaging category and applies it to the speaker. The pattern is recognizable: when an apologetic-claim crosses the audience's worldview-presumption (Festus's Greco-Roman framework has no category for resurrection-from-the-dead), the rejoinder reaches for delusion rather than refutation. Paul's reply (v. 25) is calm and structurally sharp: "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth"; the apologist's response to the delusion-rejoinder is to assert sobriety and truth, not to escalate emotionally. The verse establishes a template the apologetic-tradition inherits: hostile-tribunal interrupts may be expected, the delusion-rejoinder is recurrent, and the answer is calm-reassertion of the truth-and-sobriety of the testimony.

Key words

G0626 - apologeomai, apologoumenou (genitive-absolute, "while he was making his defense"). The verbal-action Festus interrupts; continues the action begun at Acts 26:1.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.